Method for installing well strainers



1 u l Malek 1927 J. P. LAWLOR ET A1.

METHOD FOAINSTALLING WELL STRAINERS Filed Jan. 15. 192e s sheets-sheet 1 [WE/M7056 JJEP/f F ZH/44407 df/yf if 55H/ March 1927.

J. P. LAWLOR ET AL METHOD FOR xNsTALLING WELL STRAINERS Filed Jan. 13. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet' 2 Fig@ winx un vra L A T E R O L w A L R l March 1 1927.

METHOD FOR INSTALLING WELL STRAINERS Filed Jan.15. 1926 5- Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

JOSEPH P. LAWLOR AN D JAMES I. SEAY 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEF ,METHOD FOR 'NSTALLING WELL STRAINERS.

Application mea January 13, 1926. serial No..so,9e3.

This invention relates to methods of installing a well strainer and casing in a well bored through the overlying strata of earth, rock or other material as the case may be, and into water bearing sand and has especial reference to the methodof installing the strainer portion of the casing in the sand.

It further relates especially to the method for installing such a strainer made up of a number of individual units preferably of concrete, tile or other similar material.

The objects of this invention are to pro- Vide a method for lowering, guiding and aligning the unit sections while they are being placed in the well; for so removing the sand to permit sinking of the stramer as to provide an enlarged space around the strainer; to hold back the sand, surrounding thespace so formed, with coarser material; to seal off the bottom of the strainer and to remove the guiding and lowering means after the unit sections are.

surrounded and held by the enveloping gravel casing.

We accomplish these objects 'as will be more fully hereinafter set out in the drawings, specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive show progressive steps in installing a well by ourimproved method.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the well, with an exterior casing sunk to the water bearing sands and with a portion of the strainer assembled ready to lower therein.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the strainer lowered tothe sand and one section of the solid casing of the well in place.

Fig. 3 is a similar viewdwith the strainer suriounded by gravel ready to lower into the san Fig. 4 illustrates the next step with this strainer partially lowered into the sand.

Fig. 5 shows the strainer lowered to hard pan or such depth as it may be desired to lower it and the bottom closed with a concrete-plug.

Fig. 6 shows'a completed well with the' loweringand guiding means removed.

Fig. 7 is a similar view ofthe well showing a modified method of lowering the strainer and well casing assembly therein.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the lowering pipe and point. I

4Referring now to' the drawings in -which the various parts are indicated by numerals, y 1 designates a well opening which has been sunk in any usual manner through the overlying strata to the water bearing sand. 2 indicates the casing for the well through this overlying strata. 3 is-"a hollow truncated cone shaped point preferably of cast iron having a cutting edge 4 which is of diameter larger than the outer diameter of the strainer, but slightly less than the inside diameter of the well casing. 5 is a lowering "and guiding member which is ordinarily an The'lower end of the pipe 5 is initially are annular rings of concrete, tile or similar material which are provided with suitable passages, not shown, which will permit the ingress of the water. Resting on these Aunits 6 which make up the strainer sections are well casing sections 7 which pref-- erably are not provided with water passages.

These sections may be otherwise entirely similar to the sections 6 but preferably .are

longer. The lower one of thestrainer units 6 is adapted to tit firmly on the upper sur'- face 8 of the cone 3 which surface is properly shaped for that purpose. `If desired, the various sections may be secured together in any usual or desired manner and may likewise be secured to the cone 3.

9 is the water bearing sand and 10 gravel forming an envelope around the strainer sections. 6. 11 is a supporting block and 12 are supporting clamps. In the modified form shown in Fig. 7, 14 is a column of l sand formed .by filling up substantially to ythe surface of the ground the initiall well opening which was bored through the overlying strata.

The method of` installinga well casing and strainer is as follows :-First, a well is sunk through the overlying strata down to the water bearing sand in any-usual manner .and ordinarily this well is provided W of the with an outer casing 2. In the event that rock is the overlying material it may not be necessary to put in such casing and 1f so, or if for any other reason the well opening is satisfactorily self-supporting, this casing may be omitted. After thewell has been completed to the water bearing sand, the hollow point 3 is placed on the blocks 11, over, and in linewith, the well opening. A section of the lowering pipe 5 is then screwed into the cone 3, and thereafter a number of strainer units 6 are placed around the pipe 5, the lower one resting on the upper surface 8 of the cone and the others being each superposed thereabove.y These strainer units preferably embrace the pipe 5 closely so that they may be aligned thereby during lowering. The pipe 5 support ing these units is then lowered into the well by any usual well riggingadapted thereto until the top of the first set of strainer units come approximately level with the surface ground, It may then be supported by clamps 12 and additional units be placed resting on the clamps. When this has been done, the pipe 5 is again supported by the rigging, the clamps removed and the pipe is further lowered, this process being repeated until. the cone' 3 reaches and rests o-n the water bearing sand 9. Gravel 10 is then put into the well to form an envelope surrounding and extending somewhat above the top of the upper strainer section, and thereafter sandis removed by bucketing or pumping through the pipe 5 until the cone 3 rea-ches hard pan,'o'r such 'depth in the,

water bearing sand as may be desired.

Prior to tiis removal of the sand, the clamp 12 as shown in Fig. 2 is clamped down against the top well section 7 so that there may be no possibility of thesections separatin due to the supporting power of the enclosing gravel, during sinking.

During the sinking of the casing, the. gravel envelope'lO will follow down with the cone, filling the space around they strainer which is left by ythe removal of the sand.

If desired, additional gravel may be added in order that at all times the gravel envelope may not only cover the strainer units but may4 extend slightly above and along the solid portion of the casing. `When the desired depth has beenreached, the cone 3 is lled in with a concrete "plug 13 Vwhich is allowed to harden and thereafter the pipe is unscrewed and removed from the well. y In some cases, itis found that the bottom'on which the point rests satisfactorily seals the cone -and in such cases, ,the concrete plug may be omitted.

In the modification shown, in Fig. 7, the well is 'sunk to the water bearing sand in the usual manner, and is then re-lled or partly relled with Sand. The point 3 iS then preferably placed directly on this sand filler and the pipe 5 screwed into place. Strainer units 6 are then placed therearound and thereafter the assembly is lowered in the well by removing the sand fillingy instead of using the ordinary well rigging hereinbefore mentioned. In this case strainer units and solid sections are added as prel`viously described.

It will be especially noted thatduring the lowering of the strainer units they are kept constantly in alignment by the lowering pipe 5 and that before the lowering pipe 5 is removed the envelope 10 has entirely surrounded the units and is supporting them against any'inovement which would cause them to get out of alignment.

The pipe 5 not only serves as a guide for the concrete strainer and casing, but also serves as a protection against the injury of the strainer while removing the sand during the bailing process. Pipe 5 prohibits the bailing apparatus from striking against the concrete strainers interior surface while bailing out the sand.

Having now fully described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is 1. The method of installing a casing in a well, comprising, removably securing an enlarged hollow point on the lower end of a lowering and brinding pipe, assembling and lowering strainer units and well casing units closely surrounding said pipe, and supported by said point to the water bearing sands, surrounding the strainer units' with a gravel envelope, removing the sand through the central pipe and permitting the gravel enveloped units to lower in the sands as the sand is removed, sealing the cone and removing the central guiding and lowering moving the central guiding and lowering4 pipe.

3. The method of installing a casing in a well, comprising, removably securing an enlarged hollow point on the lower end of a lowering and guiding pipe, assembling strainer units and well casing units on and supported by said point and surrounding said pipe, lowering t e assembly in the Well, adding additional units, until the water bearing sands are reached, surrounding the strainer units with gravel tp envelope the units, removing the sand through the central pipe and,permitting the assembly including the gravel enveloping the umts to lower as the sand is removed, addin additional units as necessary, and removing the central guiding and lowering pipe.

4. The method of installing a casing in a well, comprising, placing supporting sand in said well, removably securing an enlarged hollow int, on the lower end of a lowerl ing an guiding pipe, assembling strainer units and. well casm units surrounding said pipe, and supporte by said point, removing the supporting sand through said pipe to lower the assembly to the water bearin sands, surrounding the strainer units wit gravel to envelope the units, removing the water bearin sand through said pipe and ermittin t e ravel enveloped units to ower in t e san s, sea-ling the cone and rein said Well, removabl securlng a hollow point on the lower en of a lowerin and guiding pipe, assembling a strainer an wellcasing, on, and supported by said point, lowering the assembly by removing the supportin sand and. Water bearing sand throug said pipe and permitting the assembly to lower as the sand is removed, adding additional'units as necessary, and removing the centra-l guidin and lowering pipe.

In testimony wereof we have hereunto set our names.

JOSEPH P. LAWLOR. JAMES I. SEAY. 

